400+ Marketing Leaders Reveal How They Invest in AI [NEW DATA]

New research shows marketing leaders are using AI to make their marketing data-driven and accountable.

Persado, a leader in AI for language generation, surveyed 400+ marketing leaders about AI.

Of 412 respondents, 63% were C-level or VPs. They spanned four countries and eight industries. 

Their responses reveal how they're using AI and signal which investments they're making in 2021.

A full 87% of respondents said they're looking for a more scientific marketing and creative process. Creative and messaging are highly visible marketing outputs. And marketing leaders indicate a need for a data-backed creative process.

AI is filling this need.

Of the respondents, 48% say they're using AI to improve marketing performance. Two-thirds report a lift in revenue from AI. That has 73% of them keeping AI in their 2021 budget plans.

That's because AI helps marketers seize more opportunities and address more challenges. 

From optimizing programmatic advertising and identifying the right target customer groups for a campaign, to improving the content customers see, marketers are increasingly able to say, "We have an algorithm for that." 

And marketing leaders are now relying on AI for creative, too.

Respondents cite analytics/business intelligence and consumer insights as top applications for AI. But a full 42% are also exploring AI to generate creative outputs and content. And 73% say they plan to leverage AI in the creative process.

To industry observers, this isn't surprising. Natural language AI has progressed rapidly. Developments in natural language models make it possible to use AI to create messages that resonate with humans.

Today, AI actually gives marketers the power to craft the right messages for every customer interaction and win every customer moment—improving brand engagement and revenue performance.

Persado’s survey findings offer a key glimpse into how forward-thinking marketing leaders are investing in the technology in 2021. 

It’s required reading for any marketing leader looking to gain a competitive edge with AI.

The full findings include:

• The full list of the most popular and effective areas where AI is applied in marketing.
• Why the move to apply AI to creative.
• Which industries are leading the way in applying AI most broadly to their marketing efforts.

Gartner highlights AI for marketing as one of its top five business trends. It’s never been more important for marketing leaders to understand and leverage AI. Diving into the full survey findings is a great way to start.

Click below to get instant access to the full survey findings.